🔗 Share this article Reserved Māori Seats on New Zealand Councils to Be Reduced by More Than Half The count of reserved seats for Indigenous council members on NZ councils is set to be slashed by over 50%, following a divisive legislative amendment that forced local governments to submit the fate of hard-earned Indigenous wards to a popular referendum. Background Information on Indigenous Representation Māori wards, which may have one or more elected officials based on demographic data, were established in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the option to elect a guaranteed Māori representative in municipal and provincial governments. Originally, local governments were only able to create a Indigenous seat by first submitting it to a community referendum in their region. Local populations often devoted considerable time generating local support and urging their local governments to establish Indigenous representation. Policy Changes and Government Actions To address this concern, the previous Labour government allowed municipal authorities to establish a Indigenous seat without first requiring them to put it to a public vote. But in 2024, the right-wing coalition government reversed the change, saying local residents ought to determine whether to introduce Indigenous representation. Voting Outcomes The new legislation required councils that had created a ward under the previous policy to conduct binding referendums concurrently with the municipal polls, which ended on October 11. Out of 42 local governments participating in the public vote, 17 decided to keep their wards, and twenty-five to abolish theirs – revealing numerous areas against guaranteed Māori representation. The results provided “a crucial move in reinstating local democratic control.” Critics nevertheless have criticised the new policy as “racist” and “against Indigenous interests”. Since taking office, the current administration has ushered in extensive reversals to measures designed to enhance Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has stated it aims to end “ethnic-specific” approaches, and asserts it is dedicated to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and every citizen. Geographical Splits Outcomes of the public votes were split down city-country divisions – six of the seven urban centers required to vote backed Māori wards, while rural regions leaned strongly towards removing them. “It's unfortunate for the Māori wards that had recently been established – they’re only just starting to hit their stride.” Voter Turnout and Concerns This year’s local government elections recorded the smallest electoral participation in 36 years, with under one-third of eligible voters casting a vote, prompting calls for an overhaul. The process had been “a mockery”. Differential Standards Councils are able to establish other types of electoral districts – including countryside seats – without initially mandating a community ballot. The disparate requirements placed on Indigenous representation indicated the administration was targeting Indigenous inclusion. “Ultimately, they were unsuccessful. Many communities have given the government a middle finger response.” This remark referred to the 17 regions that voted to retain their seats.